This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for reducing worn out tires to particles of rubber and steel.
Despite its potential value, the rubber and steel content of worn out automobile and truck tires is seldom recovered. The rubber is useful in the making of asphalt and similar materials, and the steel is valuable as scrap metal. The principal reason that no attempt is ordinarily made to salvage the rubber and steel is the unavailability of suitable equipment which is capable of reducing the tires in an economical manner.
The present invention is aimed at overcoming this problem and has, as its primary object, the provision of a practical method and apparatus for reclaiming substantially the entire rubber and steel content of tires.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the character described in which the tire is first cut into relatively large pieces which are then ground into small particles of rubber and steel.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the character described wherein the tire is reduced to rubber and steel particles in a simple and economical manner.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the character described in which the steel particles are effectively separated from the rubber particles.
An additional object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which operates reliably and is well suited for high speed operation by a single operator.
Other and further objects of the invention, together with the features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear in the course of the following description.